The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-03
BARNWEL.s BAD BEGINNING.
Mr. 3. r. Tillman Addresses the Crowd
on the Rights and Wrongs Of South
Carolina Farmers-The Crowd
Refuse to Hear Senator YOU
mans.
Special to the Meas and Courier.

of addressing the farmers of Barnwell
County on the farmers movement in the
State, and give his views in regard to an
agricultural college for the State. 1t was
arranged that Senator L. w. Youmans
should reply 20 Mr.. Tillman.
However. before the debate commenced,
the following delegates were elected to
represent this county at the Farmers
Convention, to be held in Columbia on
December l: Col. D. P. Sojourner, Capt.
Geo. H. Kirkland, W. R. Boynton, DR.. Il.
W. Kearse and Mr.. J. A. jenkins.
At the conclusion of the election Col.
Soiourner, in few fitting remarks, intro
duced Mr.. B. R. Tillman to the assembled
farmers, some three Or four hundred in
number. He was greeted with cheer
after cheer and it was evident from the
beginning that the majority of the au-
dience we're enthusiastic Tillmanites.
He said: II am glad to be with you, to
let you look me in the eyes and see if l
am the demagogue that I have been
painted. It has been arranged for MIR.
Youmans to answer me. have under
taken a great deal to come here to attack
him. But I have not come here to attack
ILL., Su'11 AoV elPP0o1 w IOtA. - "A-
not hunting Office, but I am battling for a
cause I think right and just. Is South
Carolina sick? Are the farmers sick?
Do you realize your full condition? The
Democrats have been in possession OF this
Government ten years, and yet the tax
books show assessments on less now than
ten years ago. There has been money
made but it is concentrated in the villages
and cities, and our farmers are poorer
men than they were ten years ago. Ihe
solution of the problem how to farm and
prosper is no nearer being solved here
than in the upper country. The masses
of YOU are not prospering. You have to
beg the merchants to allow you provisions.
Nv explanation is this. The seed were
sown some years ago. In 1910 the South
ern States ranked among the wealthiest of
this Union. The Northern farmers have
been digging their wealth from the ground
and investing it in manufactures, but the
South invested her money in negroes and
| mules. The North created tariff to help
them. We had the same chance and mon
ev, but the men who lead us advised
against it. The South clamored for free
trade and that was the great cause of the
war. Now we are clamoring for the new
| South. The farmers are getting nothing
of the new South. But is it not time we
were learning something? Some of the
| men that led us in war are now clamorlng
| for free trade and reduction. But tariff
reduction is not going to remedy your
evil"
He then compared the farmers of South
Carolina to those of the New England
States, saying the latter built up manu-
factories and sold their products to the
operatives. ave haven't them and can
not get them until we work for them our
selves. They are for high tariff because
they are protected by our buying from
them and not competing. Free trade amt
going to help you when you do get it. In
addition to the fact that we have no man
ufacturing population, and therefore no
| local market, We are driven to the wall by
Western products"
He then advised the farmers to raise
their own rations. He spoke Of the large
amount of money sent to South Carolina
from abroad for cotton, but said it had all
gone back for provisions, "and now we are
nearly paupers. There are plenty Of ways
you could better yourselves if you only
know how. I have got to it now-my
crank-the agricultural college. Isay ig
norance is at the bottom Of our troubles.
Extravaganza and laziness have come on.
T say we need an educated class of farm
ers who have been taught it. It is man
who is never satisfied that progresses. It
is those who men call cranks that move
| this world"
He then spoke for some time at random,
referring to the agricultural college, what
be did during the war and in '76, touched
the system of tagging guano, which he
pronounced as useless, and branded the
South Carolina Colleges agricultural de-
partment humbug and fraud. He said
the college was to have been opened as an
agricultural one in 1882, when the board
of directors was composed entirely of law
yers and teachers. with South Carroll
mas sixty thousand farmers they couldn't
find single man whom they thought fit
to put on the board of trustees. They al
so composed the board of visitors entirely
of lawyers and ministers. We've got too
much lawyer both in Washington and Co
lumbia. They are running this country.
While in Columbia last year T heard OF
lawyers accepting fees to pass bills. If a
college has an agricultural department
tackled on the latter never prospers. That
has been proven. The South Carolina
College never turned out but two farmers
and the Citadel one, but they knew moth
ing about it."
He then continued his argument in ia
vor of the agricultural college in the same
strain of his recent articles in the Nens
and Courier.
He concluded by giving the agricultu-
raj stations recently established and the
officers of the agricultural department of
the State some fearful stabs, dwelling
particularly upon Col. A. P. Butler. He
said: "They collected large amount of
money, but nobody examined their books.
I accuse them of extravaganza and incom-
potency. They are not fit to manage an
agricultural bureau"
He then gave Prof. Chazal parting
shot and ended by saying: You farmers
are stagnated; you should read agricultu-
raj journals and discuss the best methods
among yourselves I advocate the abol-
ishing OF the agricultural stations and
having an agricultural college, and now
nominate myself for trustee of this col
lege, and depend upon the farmers of
the State to put me there
The speech was received with marked
applause throughout, and at its conclu-
sion the applause lasted fully two minutes.
Senator Youmans was then introduced.
He said: 1T gives me pleasure to vel
come Mr.. Tilman here"
At this point the audience interrupted
him with cries of '"Tillman! Tillman! Sit
down; We don't want to near from you,"
&C.
Mr.. Tillman arose and begged the audi
dence to cease their cries.
Mr.. Youmans said, referring to Mr.. TIL
mans efforts to regain quiet: Il consider
this action on the part of man from an
other county offcious in the extreme"
This was greeted with cries of ''Tillman!
TillmanT and loud cheering. Nh. You
mans attempted to continue, but the crowd
would not hear him.
The chairman made plea to them and
so did Mr.. Tillman, but of no avail Men
IN tho o1,dianoa triad to cton tho cbooriDor